# 34 bottle Vinotemp



## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

I picked up the future home of my sticks today. Its a Vinotemp 34 bottle wine fridge.

I already ordered 4 double drawers and 1 shelf from Wineador.

I am about to order 3 Lbs of heart felt beads and divide them up in to 1/2 bags to distribute amongst the drawers.

The drain exits the back and has a catch pan so that will be getting plugged up as soon as she airs out good.

here are a few pics


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## WyldKnyght (Apr 1, 2011)

Very nice...

I've been quite happy with my Wineador. It's a very slippery slope now LOL


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

WyldKnyght said:


> Very nice...
> 
> I've been quite happy with my Wineador. It's a very slippery slope now LOL


tell me about it in a month I upgraded from my humidor


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## WyldKnyght (Apr 1, 2011)

dr.dirty said:


> tell me about it in a month I upgraded from my humidor


This is what I'm going to use as a fan...once it comes in LOL

Vibe Mini Folding USB Laptop Cooling Fan Pad | eBay


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

Nice! :bowdown:


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## Hannibal (Apr 22, 2011)

Well hopefully I'll have some of the very same pictures by the end of the week.

Congrats Scott!!


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## djangos (Mar 14, 2011)

Very nice man! Looks perfect!


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## E Dogg (Mar 23, 2011)

saweeeet!
Is this from the guy in Hemet?


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

E Dogg said:


> saweeeet!
> Is this from the guy in Hemet?


Nope but I sure did see that one and gave it lots of thought:llama:


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Ok so here is how im going to set it up.










This would give me either 5 drawers at 3 inches deep or i can do 4 drawers and 2 shelves. What do you guys think? Keep in mind I will have at minimum 1/2 pd of beads in each drawer.


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## MattNJ (Feb 11, 2011)

congrats! I just finished my wineador and love it! my advice is to skip the singles shelf and get all doubles, trust me the shelves wont hold as much as you think.

Is that a compressor fridge?


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

MattNJ said:


> congrats! I just finished my wineador and love it! my advice is to skip the singles shelf and get all doubles, trust me the shelves wont hold as much as you think.
> 
> Is that a compressor fridge?


I am getting double drawers.

I am also thinking about getting one of these because it will read thre sensors (bottom, middle, top).


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Well i just pulled the trigger on one more drawer.

So in total that will give me 5 double drawers and one top shelf. 


Man I super excited to get this going.......


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## MattNJ (Feb 11, 2011)

Hey Scott,
I looked that cooler up and its a compressor unit. This could end up being extremely problematic and may give you more of a headache and RH issues then anything. Not sure how far your draws are along or if you could return the fridge, but I definitely would if I was you. just my 2 cents.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

MattNJ said:


> Hey Scott,
> I looked that cooler up and its a compressor unit. This could end up being extremely problematic and may give you more of a headache and RH issues then anything. Not sure how far your draws are along or if you could return the fridge, but I definitely would if I was you. just my 2 cents.


Im going to give it a shot like it is. worse case I wont plug it in and it will be a really nice coolerdor. I will have sufficient media for each tray to were i dont think ill really need to plug it in. I was going more for looks and size than cooling capability. For the price I paid ($189) I did not find ANY humidors that I liked and fit well in my home.


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## 68 Lotus (Jan 13, 2011)

Is that the unit they sell at costco?


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## JPinDC (Feb 14, 2008)

I've seen this one at HD and love the 'bench' at the bottom. I built half-shelves for my own vinodor to emulate that. It will be awesome when you get it done, keep posting your progress.
jp


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## Hannibal (Apr 22, 2011)

MattNJ said:


> Hey Scott,
> I looked that cooler up and its a compressor unit. This could end up being extremely problematic and may give you more of a headache and RH issues then anything. Not sure how far your draws are along or if you could return the fridge, but I definitely would if I was you. just my 2 cents.


Okay so could you educate us on the differences and the pro's and con's?


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## GregSS (Aug 12, 2010)

How much does a set up like this cost when its all said and done?


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

A compressor fridge uses a condenser which is will pull the humidity out of the air. No with that said the drain will be plugged and the area were the drain is will be filled with Heartfelt beads so it will catch all the moisture and toss it back into the air. Secondly with this particular model from what I have gathered of many wine forums and sites does not cause the drastic humidity changes because wine drinkers are anal about storage as well. If all the humidity was taken out to cool the fridge the corks would dry out and the wine would be ruined, so I Think this one will be fine. Normal refrigerators cool to lower temps than the 66 deg this will be set at.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

GregSS said:


> How much does a set up like this cost when its all said and done?


So far im about $300 into it. Still need to buy the beads and a good hygrometer set up.


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## JPinDC (Feb 14, 2008)

Guidence all along has been thermoelectric coolers only for cigars - that's the first I've heard that it's OK for a compressor model.

You should know how it goes during the seasoning process, how it holds RH at temperature.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

JPinDC said:


> Guidence all along has been thermoelectric coolers only for cigars - that's the first I've heard that it's OK for a compressor model.
> 
> You should know how it goes during the seasoning process, how it holds RH at temperature.


The internet is a great resource and there are always 2 sides to the same coin some choose one side others choose well the other side :smoke:

Give this a look good info form fellow BOTL http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...sor-cooled-wine-cooler-even-worth-trying.html


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## MattNJ (Feb 11, 2011)

ahh gotcha, you should be able to fit a good amount of stogies in there, as long as you dont turn it on it should be good to go!

good luck, keep us updated with pics.


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

Looks good to me Scott, coming along nicely. Even though I run a compressor model I usually recommend against it due to them being fickle but here is a hint. Set the thermostat to it's hottest setting & get a timer that can turn it on & off many times a day. That is how I got mine to run stable. Buy turning it on for only short bursts the the plate never gets overly cold & it vastly reduces the moisture drawn from the air.

Another way is to use an external electronic temp controller but that can get messy & expensive. LMK how ya go mate. :typing::lever:


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Tashaz said:


> Looks good to me Scott, coming along nicely. Even though I run a compressor model I usually recommend against it due to them being fickle but here is a hint. Set the thermostat to it's hottest setting & get a timer that can turn it on & off many times a day. That is how I got mine to run stable. Buy turning it on for only short bursts the the plate never gets overly cold & it vastly reduces the moisture drawn from the air.
> 
> Another way is to use an external electronic temp controller but that can get messy & expensive. LMK how ya go mate. :typing::lever:


Thanks man.... The size and price of the cooler were worth the task of getting it to run how i want.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Well I was at the pet store getting dog food and i figured what the heck Ill try some KL. The 65% heartfelt beads are out of stock so im gonna give this a try. I cant wait for my drawers to arrive so i can fine tune everything.










Also for the temp control Ill be using one of these









It will allow me to bypass the internal computer and only have the cooler run when I want it to run.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Well I let it run for 14hours at 65 deg. Its holding at 69% RH and 66deg with a fluxuation of +/- 4% RH. That is with roughly 7lb of KL that I gave a good spritzing to. The house temp is right around 78 deg.


Im still on the hunt for a good multiple sensor hygrometer, I'd like to be able to monitor the levels with out opening the door and pulling out a drawer to get a reading.


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## MattNJ (Feb 11, 2011)

KL works well, but I dont think you will need that much. Save more room for sticks! :smoke2:
I thought since it was a compressor model you were not going to turn it on so there would be no reason for the ETC,


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

MattNJ said:


> KL works well, but I dont think you will need that much. Save more room for sticks! :smoke2:
> I thought since it was a compressor model you were not going to turn it on so there would be no reason for the ETC,


Well if something as simple as the ETC will make the cooler portion work the way I need it to, I see no reason not to snag one. Im still a few weeks out on receiving my drawers so i figured id just do some experimenting.

Nope more than likely I wont need that much but 14 lbs KL was 20 bucks and the 4x12 mesh bags were 99 cents so It never hurts to have options.


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## MattNJ (Feb 11, 2011)

The ETC will turn the cooler on however it wont stop the compressor from sucking the humidty out

damn those bags were .99? My wife will kill me if she found out I could of got those for less then a buck but cut her stockings up instead.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

MattNJ said:


> The ETC will turn the cooler on however it wont stop the compressor from sucking the humidty out
> 
> damn those bags were .99? My wife will kill me if she found out I could of got those for less then a buck but cut her stockings up instead.


It will control the humidity drop by only allowing the cooler to run for a very short time. I can trigger it to come on at 66 deg and off at 67 deg. So the cooler will not have time to condense all the air inside the cooler. That being said the cooler has not affected the RH to an extent to be alarmed about. All of this will change as I add the drawers but I dont see it changing to much.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

MattNJ said:


> Hey Scott,
> I looked that cooler up and its a compressor unit. This could end up being extremely problematic and may give you more of a headache and RH issues then anything. Not sure how far your draws are along or if you could return the fridge, but I definitely would if I was you. just my 2 cents.


Im glad you are happy with your setup....... But that does not mean that it is the only way to go... I enjoy the challenge of doing something outside the box. :smoke2:


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## Torqued (May 18, 2011)

WyldKnyght said:


> This is what I'm going to use as a fan...once it comes in LOL
> 
> Vibe Mini Folding USB Laptop Cooling Fan Pad | eBay


Thanks for the link. Please post your impressions/experience with it..


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Well just ordered a Hygrometer from Oregon scientific. Ill be able to monitor 3 sensors, the main selling point was that the sensors are +/- 1% accuracy on reading RH. Most of what i was looking at was +/- 5% . So using this I will be able to see what the RH is in the room as well as top. middle and bottom drawers










The digital temp controller should be here tomorrow or Wednesday ill post pictures of the installation.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

With the ETC installed the Wineador is rock soild at 69 deg and 67% RH right were I wanted it.
I have the fridge set to come on at 72 deg and shut off at 68 deg. When the compressor kicks on it will cause a slight RH swing to about 65% RH. I was messing around and left the door open until the Rh matched the room RH at 33% and then timed how long it took to recover the 67% RH. Within 45 mins it was back to 66% :smoke:


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## CALIFORNIA KID (Nov 21, 2010)

very nice. I have been looking around but Im not allowed to buy one because my GF wants to get one for me.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

CALIFORNIA KID said:


> very nice. I have been looking around but Im not allowed to buy one because my GF wants to get one for me.


If you do get one, and its the compressor model factor in another 90 bucks for a good ETC it will make your life super easy. Also factor in the price of the drawers, multi sensor hygrometer etc etc etc...... The thermoelectric are nice but I live in the desert and its nothing for us to get over 110 degs so i wanted the ability to regulate the cooling process more......


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## David_ESM (May 11, 2011)

Tagged with interest as I just picked up this same unit.


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## CALIFORNIA KID (Nov 21, 2010)

dr.dirty said:


> If you do get one, and its the compressor model factor in another 90 bucks for a good ETC it will make your life super easy. Also factor in the price of the drawers, multi sensor hygrometer etc etc etc...... The thermoelectric are nice but I live in the desert and its nothing for us to get over 110 degs so i wanted the ability to regulate the cooling process more......


I was planning thermoelectric

ETC?


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## David_ESM (May 11, 2011)

CALIFORNIA KID said:


> ETC?


External temperature controller.

Another unit keeps track of the temp inside the cooler. If it falls below a certain limit it turns the unit on, if it goes above a certain limit it turns the unit off.

It allows you to really control the temp much more accurately as well as limit how long the compressor runs.


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## JPinDC (Feb 14, 2008)

Also, most wine fridges only go up to the 50's or 60's in temp, so an ETC lets you turn off the unit when it gets too low and keep them year round at 67-72ish.

Beware of the power failure that takes both out and resets them so when you come home your sticks are at 54 degrees and whatever low RH coresponds to that.

Also, I am pretty sure that compressors don't do well long term if they are frequently cycled on and off. I have a feeling my vinotemp went bad because of the constant cycling.

Just stuff to think about.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

JPinDC said:


> Also, most wine fridges only go up to the 50's or 60's in temp, so an ETC lets you turn off the unit when it gets too low and keep them year round at 67-72ish.
> 
> Beware of the power failure that takes both out and resets them so when you come home your sticks are at 54 degrees and whatever low RH coresponds to that.
> 
> ...


Yeah luckily I believe the ETC i got has a memory but not sure how long it holds it in the event of a power failure. I can see how the compressor going on and off al the time could be a bad thing but I look at it like a full size fridge they are ran of a compressor and cycle alot more than you'd think.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Drawers are out for delivery:banana::banana:


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Pictures as promised....... I just threw what I have in the Drawers for photos. I will be seasoning the drawers in a cooler. 

Right now I have just over 200 cigars just in the drawers and room for lots more if I stack them. I also think that I can do away with alot of the Litter packs but too much media isnt a bad thing......


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## sckfck (Mar 17, 2011)

Looking great brother!


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

This pic didnt show but you can see one of the sensors in the drawer :smoke:


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## Wineador (Apr 11, 2011)

They look great installed! Spacing worked out well too. Should help with great air circulation in there!


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Wineador said:


> They look great installed! Spacing worked out well too. Should help with great air circulation in there!


Yes sir they came out excellent..... Now I need to buy lots more cigars


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## Wineador (Apr 11, 2011)

dr.dirty said:


> Yes sir they came out excellent..... Now I need to buy lots more cigars


I DEFINITELY know what you mean!! Remember MY drawer in our cooler?









Yeah, my wife has loads more smokes than I do. LOL. That's part of the fun though, filling those bad boys up!!


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## David_ESM (May 11, 2011)

Making me jealous. Have the same cooler.

Have 2 drawers and 1 shelf coming for now (second order will be later)

If you don't mind me asking, do you have kitty litter on top of the drain in the back behind the bottom shelf? Or do you not turn the cooler on?


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

I have a small amount of KL by the drain and I also have another Large sock of KL in the every bottom as well. I have been running the cooler now for about a month with no issues


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## David_ESM (May 11, 2011)

If you get the chance I would love to see a shot of how you have that drain spot set up.

I was worried I would have to do a half depth drawer there to make room for litter, but if yours is fine, then obviously that is optimal.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

David_ESM said:


> If you get the chance I would love to see a shot of how you have that drain spot set up.
> 
> I was worried I would have to do a half depth drawer there to make room for litter, but if yours is fine, then obviously that is optimal.


I just sprinkled a very small amount to fill that troff


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## GregSS (Aug 12, 2010)

Wow, that looks awesome. Thanks for the pics


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

GregSS said:


> Wow, that looks awesome. Thanks for the pics


Thanks man...... Now I need to get to stocking it up.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

*UPDATE*


I figured I would keep you guys updated on this. 


With the drawers installed and all my smokes in it here are what im seeing:

House avg temp is 82 deg. Daily high is 84 and low 80 with a 27% RH

The beauty of the hygrometer I chose its it keeps track of highs and lows over a 24hr period. 

Fridge temp High 72 and the low was 70. My goal was 69 deg so im not far off of my goal. 

My rh goal was 67% and so far its holding tight at 67%. Like many of you know running a compressor fridge with play hell with the RH levels. I have noticed a slight swing of about +/- 3% when the compressor kicks on. I timed the compressor and right now it runs for about 1.5 minutes. I can live with a swing to 64% as it is only taking about 15 minutes after the compressor kicks off to regain the 67%. I have become obsessed with monitoring the wineador and making sure everything is good to go. I think I may have it dialed in and can now enjoy it. :smoke:


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

dr.dirty said:


> *UPDATE*
> 
> I figured I would keep you guys updated on this.
> 
> ...


Nice! I knew you would get there and you are running just fine right now methinks. :rockon::lock1::yo:


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Tashaz said:


> Nice! I knew you would get there and you are running just fine right now methinks. :rockon::lock1::yo:


Thanks man. Its been alot of fun getting it dialed in and I am excited with the results and to my the wineador is gorgeous. The best part is the wife loves the look of it as well. no If i could just get her to help me fill it up.


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## Hannibal (Apr 22, 2011)

I can't wait to get home to get mine going!!!


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## Wineador (Apr 11, 2011)

Suuuhweeeet!! Must be all that lovely cedar in there keeping it stable! 

Congrats on a successful build!


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

I just picked this unit up and was bummed to get home and see it had a compressor on it. I got this confused with another one I was looking up from vinotemp and just assumed most of them were since so many on here choose that brand. Good to know it can work well. I too live in the desert and keep my house as high as 85 during the summer and I know the thermoelectric can have trouble dropping the temp. 

With that being said, I picked this up on CL for $120, I can easily sell it for that. Should I unload it and keep looking for a thermoelectric one? If I need to buy a ETC for $90 I could easily spend that buying a better unit on CL for around $200. Are those essential?


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## David_ESM (May 11, 2011)

If you plug the drain, putty some KL over the top of it and then use a little more litter total in there (4lbs or so) it will decrease the RH swings and increase the recovery speed.

Edit: So I'm told :wink:


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## Hannibal (Apr 22, 2011)

Cigar Noob said:


> I just picked this unit up and was bummed to get home and see it had a compressor on it. I got this confused with another one I was looking up from vinotemp and just assumed most of them were since so many on here choose that brand. Good to know it can work well. I too live in the desert and keep my house as high as 85 during the summer and I know the thermoelectric can have trouble dropping the temp.
> 
> With that being said, I picked this up on CL for $120, I can easily sell it for that. Should I unload it and keep looking for a thermoelectric one? If I need to buy a ETC for $90 I could easily spend that buying a better unit on CL for around $200. Are those essential?


Okay I have the same exact unit as Dr. Dirty. I am also running the exact ETC as he is. The thing you have to look at is the wine cooler will only go to a max temp of I think 66 degrees. So the biggest thing the ETC does for you is to fine tune the temp in the fridge. I know on mine I have the temp set at 69 degrees with a variant of +/- 2. That's two degrees over or under the set temp. With my weather station sensor in the middle drawer I'm getting constant temps and RH of 69 and 65 respectively. My weather station will show a high, low and current temp for a 24 hour period and my high is never over 70 and 67 and the low has never been below 68 and 64. My compressor is NEVER on for more than 1.5 minutes at one time. More closer to one minute. In that time the unit isn't on long enough to accumulate any condensation at all. Every time I check the cooling unit it is as dry as a bone. So other than the unit cycling on and off multiple times a day I have not found any reason to switch mine out for any reason.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Hannibal said:


> Okay I have the same exact unit as Dr. Dirty. I am also running the exact ETC as he is. The thing you have to look at is the wine cooler will only go to a max temp of I think 66 degrees. So the biggest thing the ETC does for you is to fine tune the temp in the fridge. I know on mine I have the temp set at 69 degrees with a variant of +/- 2. That's two degrees over or under the set temp. With my weather station sensor in the middle drawer I'm getting constant temps and RH of 69 and 65 respectively. My weather station will show a high, low and current temp for a 24 hour period and my high is never over 70 and 67 and the low has never been below 68 and 64. My compressor is NEVER on for more than 1.5 minutes at one time. More closer to one minute. In that time the unit isn't on long enough to accumulate any condensation at all. Every time I check the cooling unit it is as dry as a bone. So other than the unit cycling on and off multiple times a day I have not found any reason to switch mine out for any reason.


I have been checking the temps of my wine coolers and have noticed as much as a 10 degree difference between the top and bottom. Did you put a fan in yours?

If I need to buy a $90 ETC then I'd rather just pick up a used unit for $200 that is thermoelectric. I am either going to use this one as is, or wait and get another one. I have also read that these things can reset in a power outage and default to a very low temp. I want this to be idiot proof and I'm not sure if an ETC is.


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## Hannibal (Apr 22, 2011)

Cigar Noob said:


> I have been checking the temps of my wine coolers and have noticed as much as a 10 degree difference between the top and bottom. Did you put a fan in yours?
> 
> If I need to buy a $90 ETC then I'd rather just pick up a used unit for $200 that is thermoelectric. I am either going to use this one as is, or wait and get another one. I have also read that these things can reset in a power outage and default to a very low temp. I want this to be idiot proof and I'm not sure if an ETC is.


Okay now I have always lived by the premise of you get what you pay for. The ETC we have is one of the best (from all of the reviews) out there. I understand that the money seems like a lot. But it you value your stash like I do (although it's pretty meager) I want the best environment for them. Sure you can find them cheaper but how accurate is another question.

Now look also at the fridge itself. I know that they are not spot on as far as temps go. So for a 10 degree swing isn't unheard of that is why people opt for the ETC. It's a hell of a lot more accurate. I know ours is.

Now dealing with the power outage, like we have out here in the west, ours has a memory that will turn on the unit to it's set settings. So again you get what you pay for.

What the ETC does is totally take over the front panel on the unit. So when the unit comes on it comes on at the lowest temp or whatever the factory setting on the fridge is. But it is only on for a very short time.

I do not have a fan in mine. But I do have KL in or on every shelf or drawer. I am not experiencing any change from top to middle to bottom at all.


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## David_ESM (May 11, 2011)

I am not going with the ETC yet. It really doesn't get all that hot around here. I will only have to have it plugged in for 1-2 months out of the year at most. The rest the time it will basically just be a cooler.

If I have some troubles here in late july early august. Then I will look at the ETC.

For you guys in the south. It is more of a must have.


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## Hannibal (Apr 22, 2011)

David_ESM said:


> I am not going with the ETC yet. It really doesn't get all that hot around here. I will only have to have it plugged in for 1-2 months out of the year at most. The rest the time it will basically just be a cooler.
> 
> If I have some troubles here in late july early august. Then I will look at the ETC.
> 
> *For you guys in the south. It is more of a must have.*


You sir are not joking there. We've been hitting temps in the mid to high 100's already. So with that being said and that I don't run my AC all the time when I'm gone I need the ETC.


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## David_ESM (May 11, 2011)

Middle of June and it is in the 60's here.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Hannibal said:


> Now look also at the fridge itself. I know that they are not spot on as far as temps go. So for a 10 degree swing isn't unheard of that is why people opt for the ETC. It's a hell of a lot more accurate. I know ours is.


I was not referring to how accurate the thermostat is, I am talking about the temp difference between the top and bottom of the cooler at any given time. I would assume the temperature difference is in yours as well to some extent if you aren't using a fan. Maybe something more full with less open air is better at holding a uniform temp than something empty or with 15 bottles of wine. I don't know.

I'm not getting the get what you pay for theme. Are you saying compressor systems are inherently better? How so? I can easily get a thermoelectric one on CL for $150 maybe less. That is much less than I can get a compressor one and have an ETC. If I can save money, get a more reliable setup, and one with less effort I don't see the downside.

Now, if there are downsides to those thermoelectric coolers please let me know. It may tip the scale to making this option more desirable. Thanks


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Cigar Noob said:


> I was not referring to how accurate the thermostat is, I am talking about the temp difference between the top and bottom of the cooler at any given time. I would assume the temperature difference is in yours as well to some extent if you aren't using a fan. Maybe something more full with less open air is better at holding a uniform temp than something empty or with 15 bottles of wine. I don't know.
> 
> I'm not getting the get what you pay for theme. Are you saying compressor systems are inherently better? How so? I can easily get a thermoelectric one on CL for $150 maybe less. That is much less than I can get a compressor one and have an ETC. If I can save money, get a more reliable setup, and one with less effort I don't see the downside.
> 
> Now, if there are downsides to those thermoelectric coolers please let me know. It may tip the scale to making this option more desirable. Thanks


I dont think Jeff is getting at they are better for our use. DO they help cool quicker yest but at the cost of sucking moisture out of the air if you can fine tune the on/off times. I have 3 hygrometers / temp gauges in my setup one on the bottom, middle drawer and top shelf. With that being said im am seeing no more than a 2 deg temp diff from top to bottom. I monitor it like a mother looks after a newborn. As of right now Im looking at the the house is 86 deg and 10 % rh and all three of my hygrometers are telling me the cooler is at at 68.2 deg and 66% rh. I can also monitor the last 24 hours to keep an eye on RH swings and temp changes and for the last 24hrs the max temp inside the fridge was 69.6 with a max 68%. The lows were 67.8 deg and 64% RH. With all that being said the thermoelectric seem to be the easier route to take and maintain but anyone that says it CANT be done with a compressor fridge is wrong it just requires you to use your noodle more and do some testing and monitoring. After all I like looking at my wineador daily....


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## Hannibal (Apr 22, 2011)

Cigar Noob said:


> I was not referring to how accurate the thermostat is, I am talking about the temp difference between the top and bottom of the cooler at any given time. I would assume the temperature difference is in yours as well to some extent if you aren't using a fan. Maybe something more full with less open air is better at holding a uniform temp than something empty or with 15 bottles of wine. I don't know.
> I'm not getting the get what you pay for theme. Are you saying compressor systems are inherently better? How so? I can easily get a thermoelectric one on CL for $150 maybe less. That is much less than I can get a compressor one and have an ETC. If I can save money, get a more reliable setup, and one with less effort I don't see the downside.
> 
> Now, if there are downsides to those thermoelectric coolers please let me know. It may tip the scale to making this option more desirable. Thanks


Look at the pictures of Dr. Dirty's, both of ours look exactly the same. We have drawers from the top to the bottom with sticks inside. So with that taking up the space it may be the factor in the temp swings, maybe not.

Okay, now the only thing I have to base any of this stuff on is a compressor unit. The "get what you pay for" I'm talking about is the ETC. There are numerous ones out there. Do you have to buy the most expensive one out there??? I would say no but, again you get what you pay for. Ours is digital, has memory, is nat's ass accurate and does exactly what I want it to do. Do the others do that?? I don't know as this is my first one. But again I'll pay more for the piece of mind that nothing is going to happen relating to the ETC.

Whatever you do is what you do. Scott found these ones at Costco and we both bought one. Now speaking only for myself here I wanted to make this thing work no matter what I had to do to it. I liked the looks of it and knew I could figure it out no matter what the neigh sayers said. I know there are people out there that have them and are working fine. There are others out there that say don't ever use a compressor unit. Whatever you do is whatever you do. Mine is working flawlessly and I'm happy.

I will say no matter which way you go I still think you will need a ETC period. You live in AZ correct?? It gets as hot as it does here in Southern California. So with that being said with whatever you buy are you going to be happy with your sticks sitting at a maximum of 66 degrees all the time with a minimum unknown temp??? And with whatever RH swings go with it??? The reason I say that is there are multiple threads that state the thermostat in these things are not that accurate. When you have that large of temperature swings the RH does the same thing.... Not good.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

dr.dirty said:


> I dont think Jeff is getting at they are better for our use. DO they help cool quicker yest but at the cost of sucking moisture out of the air if you can fine tune the on/off times. I have 3 hygrometers / temp gauges in my setup one on the bottom, middle drawer and top shelf. With that being said im am seeing no more than a 2 deg temp diff from top to bottom. I monitor it like a mother looks after a newborn. As of right now Im looking at the the house is 86 deg and 10 % rh and all three of my hygrometers are telling me the cooler is at at 68.2 deg and 66% rh. I can also monitor the last 24 hours to keep an eye on RH swings and temp changes and for the last 24hrs the max temp inside the fridge was 69.6 with a max 68%. The lows were 67.8 deg and 64% RH. With all that being said the thermoelectric seem to be the easier route to take and maintain but anyone that says it CANT be done with a compressor fridge is wrong it just requires you to use your noodle more and do some testing and monitoring. After all I like looking at my wineador daily....


Great results. I'm thinking a cooler filled with "stuff" is able to keep a more balanced environment, preventing the cool air from falling, and the warmer air from rising. Plus the wood, cigar boxes, and cigars probably hold their temps better than some wire shelves or the open air which helps with recovery when it is opened like what I have been doing.



Hannibal said:


> Look at the pictures of Dr. Dirty's, both of ours look exactly the same. We have drawers from the top to the bottom with sticks inside. So with that taking up the space it may be the factor in the temp swings, maybe not.
> 
> Okay, now the only thing I have to base any of this stuff on is a compressor unit. The "get what you pay for" I'm talking about is the ETC. There are numerous ones out there. Do you have to buy the most expensive one out there??? I would say no but, again you get what you pay for. Ours is digital, has memory, is nat's ass accurate and does exactly what I want it to do. Do the others do that?? I don't know as this is my first one. But again I'll pay more for the piece of mind that nothing is going to happen relating to the ETC.
> 
> ...


Excellent. Yes it is hot as hell here. Thanks for clarifying everything, very well said and jammed with lots of help. With that being said, I just found a Vinotemp 28 (thermoelectric) on CL and am going to snag that. It will save me the cost of the ETC, and simpler from what it sounds like. I want my ability to screw this up to be at a minimum. With the cost being the same it's almost a no brainer. It is good to see people have success with a compressor unit even though so many swear it is impossible.


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## nfarrar (Feb 1, 2011)

Awesome! You will never look back. I have 2 and I'm ready for a 3rd. Now, what are you going to fill it with!?


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

nfarrar said:


> Awesome! You will never look back. I have 2 and I'm ready for a 3rd. Now, what are you going to fill it with!?


is that a trick question? :boink:

All I have to do is plug the bottom drain and add KL right? I may get some plain sheets of spanish cedar and cut them to size to be a poorman's shelf. I have my hygrometers in there to see how accurate it is and what the base humidity level will be. Can't wait!

It is remarkably light compared to the unit with the compressor.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Im happy to report that in the summer heat at 110 plus I have had zero issues since day one. No RH swings that are unacceptable and the temp stays right were I want it


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## E Dogg (Mar 23, 2011)

Saweet! Love it when someone does something that other people say "you can't" Good job, Scott


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## Hannibal (Apr 22, 2011)

Mine is doing the same as dr. dirty's!! Spot on sense day one.....


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## falconman515 (Jul 10, 2011)

I see everyone with these bags for their KL or beads ... I thought they were Heartfelt bags but a lot of people are saying they found them local for 99 cents.

Where do you find these specific bags?????

I got some thin flimsy aquarium media bags at a local pet store that are not thick and look like they would tear way to easy and paid 5 bucks for a 2 pack :-(



dr.dirty said:


> Well I was at the pet store getting dog food and i figured what the heck Ill try some KL. The 65% heartfelt beads are out of stock so im gonna give this a try. I cant wait for my drawers to arrive so i can fine tune everything.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

falconman515 said:


> I see everyone with these bags for their KL or beads ... I thought they were Heartfelt bags but a lot of people are saying they found them local for 99 cents.
> 
> Where do you find these specific bags?????
> 
> I got some thin flimsy aquarium media bags at a local pet store that are not thick and look like they would tear way to easy and paid 5 bucks for a 2 pack :-(


I got these ones at the local pets mart. If youd like i can send you a few if you cant find them locally......


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

E Dogg said:


> Saweet! Love it when someone does something that other people say "you can't" Good job, Scott


I couldnt be happier man.... The setup turned out great and over the months has proven rock solid with little to no attention.


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## dr.dirty (Apr 21, 2011)

Just wanted to report back that I am still 1000% happy with this build, Still having zero issues....


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